BJP set to announce campaign committees for upcoming polls

Pushing ahead with preparations for the next Lok Sabha polls, the BJP will today announce the formation of eleven election sub-committees that will shape the party's election strategy.

On Thursday, the BJP decided to set up 11 committees which will focus on various aspects of electioneering, including organising of rallies and reaching out to the youth.

The decision was taken at the meeting of the Parliamentary Board, BJP's top policy-making body, which was also attended by Election Campaign Committee Chief Narendra Modi.

The BJP will today announce the formation of 11 election sub-committees. Reuters

The ground work for these committees was prepared at four-hour marathon one-on-one meeting between BJP President Rajnath Singh and Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday night, sources said.

The Parliamentary Board, where LK Advani was also present, deliberated for about two hours over the allocation of responsibilities among party general secretaries and other senior leaders in run up to the general elections next year.

These will deal with the conduct of rallies, public meetings; preparation of the manifesto; publicity literature, advertisement and media management; reaching out to various sections of the society- youth, women, professionals, rural and urban voters; campaign through social media; campaign programme of leaders and their travel plans; logistics and so on.

While general secretaries have been given charge of states and organisational responsibilities, the new list is likely to be about their roles and functions.

An attempt has been made to ensure a collective role for all the senior leaders and to ensure that no feathers are ruffled, sources said.

The Parliamentary Board had earlier authorised the BJP President and Modi to form these committees and appoint the members. The views of the Board will be given due respect while finalising the names, sources said.

The party is expected to name election in-charges and campaign heads for the Assembly polls to be held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Delhi.

However, it is unlikely that Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and her Rajya Sabha counterpart Arun Jaitley will head any of them, as was speculated in the media.

However, senior leaders will be involved in the overall campaign to these election-bound states.

Nitin Gadkari has reportedly turned down the offer to head the poll campaign for Delhi as the BJP's prospects are grim and being a former president of the party he feels it is a minor responsibility.